September Blogging Challenge | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

SBC: catching up again.

25 September, 2014 by Gracie 10 Comments

Hi hi!

(I just had the strongest desire to say “happy hump day,” but that’s probably my least favorite term in existence. Moving on.)

Let’s catch up a bit on the September Blogging Challenge, shall we?

#23 – things I want to learn how to do.

(re-learn) how to play piano.
I played for 11 years and only remember one song. Boo!

(re-learn) how to speak French.
Same thing – 4 years and I remember next to nada. Anyone have success with Rosetta Stone…?

martial arts of some sort.
100% because I just want to be able to kick someone’s ass if necessary.

how to drive stick shift.
This will never happen.

crow pose.

#24 - favorite form of exercise(s) and why.

Lately I’ve really been getting into Yoga again, for a few reasons – 1) I can be a bit of an anxious person and it calms be down and 2) I get more satisfaction from having flexibility than strength.

I’m also still on a major Stair Master kick because it makes me a sweaty mess.

Aaaand I’m finding myself getting into classes lately! SoulCycle and CityRow are the ones I’ve tried most recently, and I definitely want to do both again soon. I love the energy in classes.

#25 - what I’m reading right now.

Approval Addiction by Joyce Meyer
So far this book is great and much needed for me. Gotta love a good self help book, right?

Good to Great by Jim Collins
Okay, so I actually haven’t started reading this yet, but I just downloaded it! Yesterday TWO people separately suggested I read it, so I figured that was a sign that I should.

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Your turn! Something you want to learn how to do? Favorite exercise? What are you reading?

SBC: on repeat {GML’s fall playlist}.

23 September, 2014 by Gracie 8 Comments

In addition to still listening to my summer playlist, here are some new tunes I’ve been into lately. Enjoy!

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What songs have you been loving lately?

SBC: Love146.

21 September, 2014 by Gracie 4 Comments

I must say that this is my favorite post of the September Blogging Challenge so far. Even though GML is life-related “fluff” most of the time, it’s really important to me to share things of actual purpose as much as I can.

So here’s a cause I’m extremely passionate about and proud to share with you.

Love146 is an organization working to abolish child trafficking around the world.

It’s a cause that has been very close to my heart for the past couple of years. Jessi and I worked with Love146 for a while, and I can personally say that the people behind the cause are 100% genuine, hardworking, and motivated by love.

A bit about Love146 (from their website):

Love146 is an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation through survivor care, prevention education, professional training and empowering movement. Slavery is still one of the darkest stories on our planet. But for us, the hope of abolition is a reality. Love146 believes in helping grow the movement of abolition while providing effective, thoughtful solutions. We believe in the power of Love and its ability to affect sustainable change. Love is the foundation of our motivation.

What I think is so great about Love146 is their focus on both prevention AND aftercare. They’re not just raising awareness for child trafficking – they’re there on the ground working with communities to abolish it from the start.

PLEASE go ahead and learn more by checking out the Love146 website, and watch the video below.

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What’s a cause/organization you’re passionate about?

SBC: link love.

18 September, 2014 by Gracie 1 Comment

Ohhh the Internet. Full of "experts” and articles that we just can’t stop reading/sharing on Facebook.

Here are some links I’ve checked out recently that I thought were worth sharing (whether for a good read or just a good laugh).

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Mark Manson

This guy’s articles are definitely worth a read. Possibly tough to swallow…but on point.

The Great Unraveling

7 Dodgy Food Practices Banned in Europe That Are Just Fine Here

New York on Instagram Vs New York in Real Life

Every time I think I’ve quit BuzzFeed, they nail it with posts like this.

At This Adult Camp, Social Networking Means Hot Tubbing, Breakdancing, And An Open Bar

Genius.

Meet The Homeless Man Who Survives By Going Home With Women And Looking Good (Video)

Some might find this disheartening/insulting, others humorous. Either way it’s thought-provoking and definitely worth watching.

6 Ways to Manage and Thrive Through Transition and Change

Typewritten Verse

When you need some inspiration via the good ol’ BIBLE.

The Pros and Cons of the Paleo Diet

Guard Your Gates

16 Books You Need To Read This Fall

Is “Hangry” Real?

I didn’t even have to read this to know hell yes it is.

‘Cause Anything Could Happn: Finally a Dating App That Gets You A Second Chance at a First Impression

How cool/fun is this app? Whether or not actual (good) dates come out of it is inconclusive.

Agoraphobia and the Telecommuter

Looks like working from home isn’t for everyone.

I Dressed Like An Idiot At Fashion Week To See How Easy It Is To Get Street-Snapped

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Read any good articles/blogs lately? Let me know- would love to check them out!

SBC: a(nother) day in the life + thankful thursday.

18 September, 2014 by Gracie 8 Comments

Hey hey, happy Thursday!

How’s the September Blogging Challenge going for you? Be sure to send me the links to your posts (comment, tweet, etc.) – would love to check ‘em out

And FYI – I *will* be putting together a challenge for October. Be on the lookout!

#17: a day in the life.

I’m going to keep this day in the life pretty short and sweet…just because I have a lot of work to do 😉

Yesterday (Wednesday) I got up bright and early to catch up on some reading, work, and lots of coffee. My super casual OOTD:

Then I headed out for an 8am breakfast in Brooklyn. I’m a Manhattan girl, but I’ve gotta say I love me some BK.

Afterward I headed back into the city and squeezed in a great workout.

Still in 2nd and 3rd place to “CJF” – how in the world does this dude/chick do 483 floors?!

After the gym I headed to lunch at Westville with my girl friend Victoria. I love their (massive) market veggie plates.

After lunch I had another quick meeting, then finished the work day at a nearby café. Then I headed home to get ready for a night out!

I really, really was hoping to make this new skirt/dress/suspenders thing work…but I felt too much like Hansel and Gretel. HA. So I went with shorts instead.

Big decisions, people.

The night was spent bopping around downtown, from rooftop to rooftop to wandering Little Italy. And that’s a wrap!

#18: thankful Thursday.

I just spent a few minutes thinking of things I could add to the usual list I make for Thankful Thursday, but honestly I’m just overwhelmed by how grateful I am for my life as a whole. My family, friends, career, where I live, and even my future.

Basically, I’m thankful for my (still very much being written) story.

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What are you thankful for today?

SBC: makeup-less monday & what beauty means to me.

15 September, 2014 by Gracie 10 Comments

As I mentioned earlier, for some reason I thought the 16th was a Monday when I made the September Blogging Challenge (hence the “makeupless Monday”).

So for the sake of maintaining my fancy alliteration I’m posting this a day early. Cool? Cool.

makeup-less Monday / what beauty means to me.

So here’s me. Makeup-less, filter-less, and making a not-so-attractive attempt at an “I woke up like this” expression. HA.

I must admit that I’m getting a bit more emotional than I thought I would as I prepare to write this post.

You see, I was the kindergartner always decked out in plastic jewelry.
The first-grader with the crimped hair.
The girl who wanted to start wearing makeup in the third grade.
The first of her friends to shave her legs, dye her hair, get a *gasp* nose piercing.

I’ve always been on this hunt for beauty, in whatever form I thought it was at a given time.

But as I got older – probably around my late high school/college years – I realized something about striving to be beautiful.

It was boring.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s pretty obvious that I LOVE wearing makeup, getting dressed up, and being feminine. But now those things are more about self expression and less about trying to impress other people.

When I came to the realization the I was focusing way too much on beauty and vanity, I was able to open myself up more to things of real importance – like my relationship with God, relationships with other people, and becoming the best version of myself *from the inside out.*

I do want to say, though, that beauty in and of itself is not a bad thing, despite all of the societal/media backlash against it lately.

How we choose to define beauty and/or let it control our lives is what is key.